We were excited to head to the mainland of Kuta, which promised a little more action and a lot more beaches than Gili Air. An intense 30-minute speedboat trip was followed by an equally harrowing and somewhat alarming drive to our hotel. We bypassed lush terrain and breathtaking beaches, only to see the streets get busier and decidedly less beautiful as we made way.
As our ride foreshadowed, we were initially disappointed in Kuta. We knew it was going to be less hectic than Bali, but still … The beauty and serenity of Gili Air felt like a distant memory as we were lambasted by the contrasting traffic, noise, and garbage of the island. After our initial shock, though, we settled in nicely. The town was within walking distance of our “villa” (their description, not ours) and was loaded with shops and excellent restaurants. Spending so much time in Mexico and Greece, we’ve really missed good Asian food, and it did not disappoint: delicious, inexpensive, and delivered with the same outstanding service as on Gili Air. Must be an Indonesian thing.
Highlights beyond the culinary: a tour of rice fields (beautiful), a weaving village (more interesting than anticipated), and a 4.5-mile, steep, muddy, and unexpectedly challenging hike to four dramatic waterfalls that almost made the crazy trek worth it. Lazy days at the beach (most notably Sanjun Ahn, with beautiful water and the softest sand I’ve ever felt). A snorkeling trip to the Secret Gilis (Gede, Layar, and Rengit) where we were surprised by clear, cool water and bright blue coral and starfish. And a fabulous new private villa (a real one this time) where we stayed for our final night after a scheduling snafu forced us out of our digs a day early. Excellent recovery.
I also finally finished Anna Karenina. It used to be one of my faves, but maybe I have less patience now? Whatever the case, I was over the characters halfway through the book and frankly just wanted Anna to get on with it. Did two more satisfying puzzles. Made some good meals. Ate too many delicious baguettes from the local French bakery. Went for a couple more dives (meh), as well as some excellent boxing, conditioning, yoga, and pilates workouts at the beyond stunning Xenofit gym, which was included in our hotel stay and helped compensate for the aforementioned baguettes plus dumplings and more.
After three weeks on Kuta, we were happy to have avoided death or dismemberment by two- or four-wheelers. (One would be wise to meander mindfully there; keep your wits, keep your limbs.) Satisfied that we had done it justice, we were ready to move on. Next up: a short stint in Singapore.
